Nalanda Woman Awarded by PM for her Inspiring Work in Mushroom Farming

Anita Kumar of Nalanda district has received the esteemed ‘Jagjivan Ram Innovative Farmer’s Award’ this year, for her outstanding work in mushroom farming. She has not only changed her life, but has also helped several other women in becoming financially independent.

In 2010, Anita Kumar, a resident of Anantpur village in Nalanda district of Bihar, started mushroom farming. Today, she is recognized as the face of empowerment and independence by many other women in the area. Through her hard work and determination, she not only changed her own destiny, but also helped many other women become financially independent.

Because of her contribution to the development of the district, Anita was selected for this year’s ‘Jagjivan Ram Innovative Farmer’s Award’.

She received it from PM Narendra Modi at the 9th National Agriculture Science Centre Workshop in Patna on July 25th.

The small land owned by Anita’s husband was not enough to meet the needs of the family and they were living in extreme poverty before she began her work in 2010. It was on the request of the then district magistrate, Sanjay Kumar Agrawal and other officials that she began with the training process. The results were marvellously lucrative. This inspired her so much that she began to encourage other women as well, and today there are about a dozen women self-help groups (SHG) who are become financially strong, independent and confident with the help of mushroom farming.

She is also known for her mushroom pickles and other products which help in adding on to her income. Anita truly deserved this award for not only assuring a good life for her family today, but for the families of many other women in the area too. Kudos to all these women who found a way to change the course of their lives.